Container



CONTAINER R E B M E T S F Filed July 30, 1937 INVENTOR Fame 5/ ben ATTORNEY.

wlllllllllz Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT orr cs CONTAINER Ferne Stember, East Orange, N. J.

- Application July 30,

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to improvements in Containers, such as tobacco pouches, hand bags, pocket books and the like, and more particularly to articles wherein complementary interlocking means such as zippers, are employed for closing purposes. It contemplates providing resilient agents to automatically separate the sides of containers as said interlocking means disengage, not only at the top, but also at one of the sides thereof, so that the container may be more widely opened to facilitate its use.

In a container as disclosed in the prior art, while the fastening means is effective in preventing the contents therein from straying out by positively securing the mouth thereof, the container opens at its top side only, limiting its usefulness and often results in the loss of time and patience, and in straining the meshing teeth, or tips of the fastening elements thus retarding the closing operation of the mechanism.

The provision of a resilient or spring member suitably incorporated in the container for self opening purposes will prevent such occurrences by keeping the teeth in proper engageable position when disengaged, owing to the stiffening of the'rim portions due to the presence of the spring.

The objects of this invention are to provide simple and practical meanswhereby a tobacco pouch, hand bag or the like may be securely closed by a fastening device and conveniently and effectively opened automatically as the fastening means disengages. It is another object to provide means whereby containers as described can be opened to greater extent than has heretofore been possible by extending the interlocking mechanism of the container across the top and over and around one of its sides.

It is a further object to provide means for preventing the straying of the interlocking parts from operative position, by employing reinforcing elements to stiffen the side wall of containers.

With the above objects in view and others which will be apparent when the description proceeds, my invention comprises certain details of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed. The reference being had in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of an opened container or bag, embodying the present invention, partly broken away, illustrating the complementary interlocking means operative around two sides thereof,

1937, Serial No. 156,493

Fig, 2 is a top plan view of another form of a container in which the interlocking mechanism operates along the top side only:

Fig; 3 represents a detail view of one form of resilient member employed in the invention and made of spring wire.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of another form of resilient member employed in the invention and made of flat spring wire.

Similar numerals designate parts throughout several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, the pouch Ill which also represents other containers such as hand bags and the like, is provided with a complementary interlocking mechanism II which extends substantially over the entire length of the top open-' ing l2 and a part of one side l3 of the container. The interlocking mechanism is applied in the customary manner to the bag or pouch by stitches i l. The container wall If: at the top edge It is suitably formed to provide a tube 17, into which the round wire portion I8 of the spring A (referring to Fig, 3) is inserted and embedded. The loop 20 of this spring (see Fig. 3) is spaced apart sufficiently wide to permit the tope or talon 2! to pass intermediate its arms as at 22. A slide member 23 is provided to close the pouch as is customary. The operation of the closing mechanism is not limited to the top side alone as in the prior art, but is adapted to continue around a corner I!) of the container down along the side.

This construction enables a user to open the mouth of the container much wider than heretofore;

The containers herein referred to are commonly made of leather, artificial leather or fabric, and the interlocking mechanism when disengaged, is not always in the best operative position for easy reengagement of the mechanism, because of the pliability of the material, particularly after some service. The provision of a spring A (Fig. 3) or B (Fig. 4) embedded in the container walls I5 at the top part l6 as heretofore explained and shown at E8 of Fig. l sup-plies means for overcoming this difficulty, as the shape and position of the spring serves to bring and retain the teeth of the interlocking mechanism in proper operative position.

Furthermore, the employment of an U-shaped spring with its free ends at the open corner of the container serves concurrently to urge the side of the container, as well as the top, open.

In Fig. 2, a pouch is illustrated in closed position, in which either one of the two springs A or B will open the pouch to the position indicorresponding cated by the dot-dash curved lines 24. The construction and arrangement of parts in this view will be manifest from the description given in reference to Fig. 1, the difierence being that in this view the bag is adapted to open only at the top side.

A form of spring is shown in Fig. 3 in bowed position with its two open ends 25 and 26 and loop 20. The dot-dash lines 21 indicate the position of the arms 25 and 26 in the closed positions of the container as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 illustrates a fiat or blade spring B. This spring is wish bone shaped, and fastened to the pouch by means of strips 35 of suitable material such as of rubberized fabric, sewed at 36 to a suitable material such as cardboard or fibre board 31 and the outer wall 38 of the bag. This board 31 serves to stiffen the walls and gives body to the pouch or bag. While only a portion of the wall is shown, it is to be understood that the same continues throughout the entire length of both arms of the spring B.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction and arrangement of parts as well as the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, and while I have herein shown and described apparatus as I now thought to be the best embodiments of my invention, I wish to have it understood that the apparatus herein shown are merely illustrative and therefore that such changes or modifications may be made, when desired, as to fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is In a container as herein described, the combination with a container body having a mouth at the top and one end thereof, of an interlocking means secured thereto to close the mouth thereof which extends over the top and one end of said body, and a substantially U-shaped spring member secured to the body along opposite edges of said top with the open end of said U-shaped member adjacent the open end of the body and in cooperative relation with said interlocking means so as to open said mouth when said interlocking means is disengaged and to hold said interlocking means in ready engageable position while the latter is disengaged.

FERNE STEIVLBER. 

